


Learning to Breathe

by barisitrash (bananamangos)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Darcy Feels, Darcyland, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, bucky becomes a bodyguard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-01 15:06:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6525151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananamangos/pseuds/barisitrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy Lewis knows there's no reason for her to be offered a place at Avenger's tower, so she lives in a shitty part of New York and commutes to work with Jane. Although the commute sucks, the rent is cheap enough for her to afford. Was she afraid of getting attacked while living in the bad part of town? No, because she's tased the God of Thunder dammit and helped save the world from evil alien elves. So when she's kidnapped, she's obviously important enough for the enemy. Will she be important enough to save?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok y'all this is my first multi chapter fic! I'm currently working on another one that probably won't get posted for a while as I'm doing extensive research and plotting out stuff. My beta is editing it as I go as well so progress on that one depends on how long it take hers to get back to me.
> 
> I don't have anyone editing this one so if you find any errors, I'm sorry!  
> I really hope y'all enjoy. xx

It was five in the morning on day three of a science bender before Jane Foster realized something was wrong. Admittedly, it was due to the incessantly loud growling coming from her stomach that she finally realized Darcy was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, she noticed it was eerily quiet, something that never occurred since Darcy began her internship with her back in New Mexico. It was also unlike her friend to let Jane go without eating to the point where her hunger disrupted her research. Suddenly feeling a wave of fatigue, she spoke up towards the ceiling. 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, how long have I been in the lab?”

“You last arrived in your lab on Monday morning at ten. Since then, you have not left the lab for forty three hours straight.” 

Shocked, Jane continued her questioning. “And how long has it been since the last time Darcy was here?”

“Miss Lewis has not been present to work since Monday. Based on your questioning, should I be correct to assume there is something wrong that I must alert the others about?”

Jane’s eyes widened and her fatigue turned into panic. “O-oh God, this isn’t good. This can’t be good. Y-yes please alert someone that I think Darcy is missing. It’s not like her to miss work without letting me know and she would never let me go this long without eating something o-or showering. Jesus how could I not notice anything was wrong until now??” She was hysterical now, her hands shaking as she stumbled to a chair and began hyperventilating. After what seemed like an eternity to her, Jane finally looked up to see Steve, Clint and Natasha burst through her lab doors. 

“Oh my God Steve! Darcy is missing and I’m not sure why. What if someone assaulted her or-or what if she had an accident or-or,” she began to cry at the possibility of anything happening to her friend. 

“Please calm down Jane. Tony is already on his way to her apartment with Sam to find out if there’s anything there that can help us figure out where she is.”

“I’m scanning hospital records to find if she’s been admitted to any of them,” chimed in Natasha as she worked on her tablet. “Although as her emergency contact, I would think you would have gotten a call if she had been in any sort of accident.”

“I-I haven’t received any calls,” Jane said through sobs. 

“Maria is scanning traffic cams for any trace of her,” Clint informed them. “We’re not sure yet if her disappearance is related to her connection with us or if this is someone who just decided she was an easy target on the streets.” Clint looked grim as he spoke. Darcy had quickly become a close friend to the archer and her disappearance was something he was unprepared for. 

“We’ll bring her back Jane. We’re heading out to catch up with Stark now. We just wanted to make sure you’re ok.” Steve told her as he led her into the waiting elevator with them. “The tower is safe, but Bruce and Bucky will be here just in case.” Once it reached her floor, he gently pushed her out towards her suite. 

Still sobbing, she watched the elevator close before she headed to her door, opening it quickly and locking it behind her. She laid herself on the couch, sobbing until she finally cried herself to sleep.

=x=

Darcy woke up unable to see anything and feeling as if she was hit by a truck. Groaning, she attempted to sit up only to realize she was tied up and unable to move. Panicked, she began struggling to find a way to set herself free.

“Struggling is useless Miss Lewis.” The voice was harsh and unfamiliar to her. 

“Who the fuck are you?” She stopped struggling now, knowing full well what the unknown man told her was true. 

“Who I am is not important,” he said as he walked closer to her. As he yanked her blindfold off, he added, “What you can do for me however, is. If you want to live that is.”

“What the hell are you after?” She blinked a couple times, trying to adjust to the light in the room. “Literally, I have nothing you could possibly want.” 

The man looked down at her, a look of annoyance on his face. “Don’t try to fool me Darcy Lewis. I know who you work for.” He leaned down and pulled her up into a sitting position against the wall. “Tell me everything you know about Foster’s research or things will get a lot worse for you.”

“Dude, ok yes I work for Jane,” she felt her heart rate go up at the realization that she was not getting out of this easily. “But I don’t know anything about her research. I just feed her and make sure she gets enough sleep so she can keep sciencing.” This of course was a lie. Although she was no astrophysicist herself, she spent a lot of time going over Jane’s stuff while organizing it and transcribing it into something more legible. She would be lying if she said she never googled some of the stuff she wrote so she could better understand it. Although Jane now had access to more competent lab assistants, Darcy had been the one to help her with the readings for her data since New Mexico. But was she going to tell this asshole anything? Yeah, no. She was going to stall.

The man stared at her angrily before he suddenly slapped her hard across the face. “You taking me for a fool girl?” He slapped her again for good measure. He breathed out as if calming himself before continuing, “If you want to do this the hard way, I am more than happy to oblige.” With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

Darcy could still feel the sting of the slaps on her face, the burning sensation a harsh reminder of the position she now found herself in. Would she allow this man, and whoever he was working with, to torture information out of her? Or would she try to stall it out and pray that the avengers would find her before any serious bodily harm would come to her? She looked out the sole window in the room, noting it had become night since she had woken up in this room. She needed to be brave. She needed to make sure they kept her alive long enough for someone to come find her. 

A day passed by in which the man, whom she still didn’t have a name for, would come in attempting to extract information from her. He would hit her, and then he would leave. Darcy could tell they were desperate for any information on Jane’s research they could get. If they weren’t she didn’t think she’d be alive right now. 

Three days passed by in the same manner before the man came in again with two others. He signaled them forward as he stared at her. “I’m only going to say this one more time.” The men untied her and held her by her arms. “Tell me what you know about Foster’s research.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” she felt dread in her stomach as she spoke. “I can’t tell you anything myself about her research. I don’t have the same knowledge of Jane’s work as she does. The only way you’re going to get anything at this point is if you use me as ransom to get what you want.”

He stared incredulously at her for a long time before sighing. “Very well.” He snapped his fingers and the men pulled her up to her feet. “You're going to wish you had told me what you really know. Do what you want with her.” He left the room without a second glance back. 

Darcy’s eyes widen at the implications of his words. “W-wait please-” She was interrupted by a sharp kick to her side. She staggered forward, eyes shutting tightly as the pain seared through her body. 

“Shut up girl.” The man on her right spoke to her as he grabbed her by the chin. He leered at her, an evil smile spreading across his face. “Just relax and think about cooperating when the boss comes back.”

As she heard the sound of a zipper being pulled down to her left, she knew there was no escaping this. Tears began to fill her eyes as she tried to imagine anything but the situation she was currently in. 

After the fifth day, she no longer felt anything. The bruises and injuries that littered her body were nothing compared to the emptiness she felt inside. She had been violated, tortured. Any hope of being rescued had left her after that third day. Nothing mattered to her anymore. The noise and shooting from outside the room she had been in for the past five days barely registered with her. When she felt the touch of someone picking her up, she shut down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes off to a start with the angst.
> 
> If you like, please let me know! I love hearing feedback and encouragement! 
> 
> I'm not sure yet if I want this to be Bucky/Darcy or Steve/Darcy so I've tagged both pairings. It might even become an OT3 if I can find a way to lead towards that.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @barisitrash


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy wakes up, plans to bring down Hydra bases are made and Bucky becomes a bodyguard.

Jane burst through the doors of the medical wing, frantically looking around until she caught sight of Clint. She hurried over to him, grabbing his arm. “Where is she?”

Clint drew a sharp breath before answering her. “Jane, it’s not good.” He winced as her grip on him tightened, nails digging into his skin.

“What do you mean it’s not good?” She asked with calmness that Clint could only describe as scary. “I want to see her.”

“We found her tied up...blood...ripped clothes...bruised everywhere.” He was unable to form a clear explanation. The image of Darcy haunted him. He had seen a lot in his time at Shield, but nothing ever compared to the feeling of finding a person you held dear the way they had found Darcy Lewis. “You can’t see her right now she’s in the ICU. We got to her just in time Jane. H-her pulse was weak. Any later and she may not have made it.”

“Oh God, it’s my fault for not noticing she was missing sooner.” She was crying now, guilt eating away at her more and more. He attempted to comfort her as Natasha and Thor walked towards them. 

Stepping forward, Thor took Jane into his own arms as she continued to cry. He held her close, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her. “My love, Lady Darcy is a strong one, she will come out well. She is in good hands with the doctors Stark has provided.”

As he continued to reassure her, Natasha motioned Clint to follow her further down the hall where Jane could not overhear them. “They did a rape kit. But we both know what the results will be. It’s best not to...divulge that information to Jane right now.”

“Shit Tasha.” he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I hate to say it, but-no. You know what? I’m glad you killed those motherfuckers. I just wish we could have gotten to her sooner.” 

Natasha gave a curt nod, “Those men did not deserve the quick death I gave them.” It was all she could bring herself to say as she walked back towards the waiting room. 

=x=

Bucky looked up with a start as Steve came through the door of their shared suite, a look of frustration evident on his face as he closed the door behind him. 

“What’s up punk, you find the girl?” He looked at him carefully, aware that something wasn’t right. 

Steve sighed as he sat himself next to his friend, head leaning back against the couch. “Yeah Buck we found her, but we were almost too late.” Bucky raised an eyebrow at him, silently telling him to continue. “Those men roughed her up pretty good and Natasha says there’s a pretty good chance they…they raped her.” Steve looked up when there was no response from Bucky to find him staring absently in front of him, his jaw set in anger. “Buck you alright?”

“Was it Hydra?” He ignored Steve’s question completely. 

“Yeah, it was some guys we hadn’t been able to catch. They were looking to force Darcy to give up information on Doctor Foster’s research.” He looked at his friend with concern, wary at the change in his friend after sharing the information about Darcy’s capture. 

“Tasha get ‘em?” 

“Yeah, no survivors.” He had been upset at Natasha’s actions during the rescue. He had hoped to interrogate them for information on the whereabouts of any Hydra bases Sam and him may have missed during their search for Bucky. However, after finding out what they had done, he didn’t have it in him to stay upset. 

Darcy had been targeted for her association with them, with Jane Foster. It had upset him further to find out that Shield had not bothered to make sure she was assigned an agent, as she should have been, to protect her from the very situation she had been subjected to. Maria had told him that the lack of loyal agents at their disposal had been the reason Darcy was not assigned someone to protect her.

“Good.” Bucky stood up abruptly and left without another word. 

=x=

Darcy awoke to an incessant beeping that did nothing for the horrible headache she was experiencing. She squeezed her eyes as she let out a groan, unwilling to open them. She felt groggy and numb, the pain she felt the last time she was conscious no longer as evident. With that thought, she began to panic as she attempted to sit up. The beeping grew faster and louder as she realized she was in a hospital room. Had they decided to experiment on her? Drug her into giving up information that they weren’t able to beat out of her? She began to feel as if she couldn’t breathe, the panic she felt becoming too much for her. She began to hastily rip the IV out of her arm when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps growing closer and closer. She knew it was stupid to attempt an escape in her current state, but she needed to do something. Darcy looked around for something to defend herself with as the door to the room opened. She screamed as she felt someone grab her arm, lashing out with her hand and scratching at the face of her attacker. She couldn’t kill, but she could at least harm. 

“Darcy. DARCY! It’s me Clint. You’re safe! You’re-” Clint attempted to get her to calm down, to realize she wasn’t in the hands of her attacker, but it was useless. He looked towards the nurses hovering at the entrance and motioned for them to come in. “Put her down, she’s going to hurt herself even more. NOW!” One of the nurses scrambled to get the necessary sedative as the other attempted to move closer and assist Clint in holding her down. Once the sedative was administered she began to slowly calm, her attempts to escape growing weaker and weaker. He reached up an arm to cradle her head as he laid her back down on the bed. He stepped aside to let one of the nurses clean the area where she had ripped out her IV and only looked away when he heard the sound of someone knocking on the open door. 

“What happened?” asked a concerned Sam as he stepped further into the room, Steve right behind him.

“She finally woke up but she panicked.” He ran a hand over his face, feeling a stinging pain where she had scratched him. “The nurses had to sedate her.”

“Barton go get that taken care of, I’ll call Jane to come stay with her.” Steve spoke up. “It might help Darcy feel more at ease if she’s here the next time she wakes up.”

“Aye aye Cap.” Clint saluted him half-heartedly as he left the room.

Sam placed at hand on Steve’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly in an attempt to get his attention. “I’ll take care of getting Foster over here, you go debrief with the rest of the team.”

“Alright, I’ll see you up there in a bit.” He smiled weakly at the man, exhaustion evident on his face. 

=x=

Steve walked into the debriefing room to find everyone sitting around the table quietly. Even Tony, who constantly had something to say, was sitting quietly fiddling with a pen. 

Steve cleared his throat, getting the attention of his team as he sat down next to Bucky “Did we find anything important where they were keeping Darcy?”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y found communications with other Hydra bases.” Tony said as he tapped away at his phone, a map appearing on the screen. “Since Romanov killed everyone, I think we should pay them a visit and see what we can get out of them.” 

“That’s great, we can split up into groups and attack them all at once. That way they don’t get a chance to alert anyone that we’re coming after them.” Steve looked at Bucky next, looking apologetically. “I think it’s best you stay here Buck. I don’t think it’s a good idea to expose you to Hydra just yet.”

“Steve-” Bucky tried to protest, but was cut off by Natasha.

“James, someone needs to stay here and look after Darcy.” She glared at Maria as she continued to speak. “She was not properly looked after before. She needs someone to protect her and I think you’re the best one for the job.” She raised a hand to stop him from objecting. “Wait, hear me out. Protecting her is a perfect way to ease you back into the field.”

“I agree with Natasha,” chimed in Bruce. “ I know you want to get out there and take down Hydra for what they’ve made you do, but it’s too soon. An easier assignment like protecting Darcy is a good way to slowly ease you back out into the field. You can start training exercises with us in the meantime.”

Bucky sighed, crossing his arms in annoyance. He understood their apprehension to have him go out into the field so soon, but he needed to make up for all the horrible things hydra had him do. However, he knew he was fighting a losing battle and all he could say was, “Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG thank you to everyone who has said positive things about this fic. I really hope I don't disappoint! You have been warned: lots of angsty feels to come
> 
> follow me on tumblr @barisitrash
> 
> I love getting prompts and feedback


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane can't science, Darcy wakes up again.

For once in her life, Jane was unable to concentrate on science. She sat at her desk, staring at the readings in front of her absentmindedly. Every time she tried to make an effort to get to work, her mind would stray back to Darcy. She couldn’t stop herself from constantly feeling responsible for what had happened to her. Darcy had never asked to be involved in any of this. After New Mexico, Jane had received support from Shield for her research with the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and had even found love with the God of Thunder himself. Darcy, on the other hand, had to change her plans completely. Shield had not allowed Darcy to use her internship with Jane for the remaining science credits she needed in order to graduate. Unable to procure the money necessary for an extra semester, she had followed Jane to Tromsø and London with the promise of actual payment. However, due to her minimal knowledge of astrophysics, or any other science, and her lack of a degree (but really who’s fault was that?) she was not offered as much as the other lab assistants hired by Shield. 

 

After the fall of Shield, Tony Stark had invited her to come work at his tower. She was reluctant at first, untrusting after the whole Shield being Hydra ordeal. Ultimately it was Thor who had convinced her that the tower would be a safe place for her to live and continue with her research. Jane had managed to bring along Darcy but had not been able to get her a place at the tower. Apparently, the suites were only for avengers and their significant others. Now, she wished she would have fought harder to get Stark to allow Darcy to stay at the tower. She had been too caught up in reuniting with Thor and setting up her shiny new lab to put up too much of a fight. Besides, Darcy had managed to find a place to live and had told Jane it was fine. She didn't dwell on the subject after that. She sighed and placed her head on her desk. She had failed as a friend to one of the few she even had. She may be Darcy's boss, but everything they had been through together has allowed them time to become closer on a more personal level. Darcy had been there to comfort her after Thor left. She had been there to pick up the pieces and encourage her to continue with her research. She knew it was too late to change what had happened to her friend, but she would do everything she could to be there for her friend as she healed. 

Sam found her moping on her desk and cleared his throat to get her attention. “Doctor Foster, are you busy?” 

Jane shot up in surprise, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught moping around in her lab instead of working. “Um no, I'm uh not busy. Just looking over some readings.” She looked at him curiously as she continued, “is there something I can help you with?”

“Darcy woke up.” He raised a hand in a silent plea to allow him to continue. “She got scared though and had to be sedated. We thought it might be a good idea to have someone there she'd be comfortable with when she wakes up again. Do you think you can come down to medical and stay with her?” 

“Are you kidding me? Of course, just let me put all this away.” She got up and began gathering the papers in front of her. As she stuffed the last of it in her desk, she began to hastily walk out of the lab. “Let's go.” 

“Actually, I've got to head to a debriefing with the rest of the team so I won't be going down with you.” He looked apologetically at her as they stepped into the elevator together. As the elevator reached his floor, he looked back at her and said, “She's not in a good place. She's going to need all the support she can get.”

Jane waved goodbye before setting off to ask a nurse which room Darcy was in. She followed closely as a nurse led her the room and hesitated a little before letting herself in. This was the first time they had allowed her to see Darcy and she was nervous to see the condition her friend was in. She gasped once she laid eyes on her. Various bruises littered her body and she looked so broken. Tears began to well in her eyes as she sat in the chair next to her friend. Placing her hand in hers, she let herself cry. “Oh my God Darcy. I'm so so sorry this is all my fault. I-I should have done more to make sure you would be safe.” She placed a hand on Darcy's bandaged head, pushing back her hair and placing a quick kiss on her forehead. “I promise Darce, I'm not letting something like this happen to you ever again. Even if I have to hand over all my research.” 

=x=

Darcy could hear a voice. It sounded familiar, but her clouded mind could not decipher who it belonged to. She attempted to open her eyes, to look for the source of the voice, but her body refused to cooperate. The next thing that came to her was the smell of coffee mixed with a sweet smelling perfume. She felt comforted by the smell as if it was somehow familiar to her just like the voice. As she allowed her senses to be overwhelmed with the comforting smell, she slowly began to regain feeling in her body. She could feel the weight of a hand on hers and she made an attempt to squeeze it, testing to see the amount of control she had to her body. She could feel a creeping headache slowly spreading across her head, causing a weak groan to escape her lips. 

Jane immediately became alert as she felt Darcy squeeze her hand. Her heart began to beat faster as she watched her friend slowly regain her consciousness. She remained as quiet as she could, allowing Darcy to adjust to her surroundings without startling her. Finally, Darcy opened her eyes, blinking as she adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. She exhaled sharply, eyes wide as she realized that the person holding her hand was Jane. Her throat felt very dry, but she attempted to speak anyway. “J-Jane? Where am I?” Panic began to overwhelm her as memories of men began to come to her. The heart monitor mimicking the panic she felt only made her feel even worse. 

Jane moved closer to Darcy, attempting to calm her as she squeezed the hand she held. “Shh Shh it’s ok Darce. You’re safe now, no one’s going to hurt you anymore.”

Darcy attempted to move her aching body as the tears kept running down her face. She knew Jane being by her side was proof that she was now safe, but she couldn’t shake the fear she felt, the nausea building in the pit of her stomach. “Jane, I can’t move. I-I don’t like it. I feel...like I’m still tied up in that room.” 

“Hold on, let me untie these restraints. I-I think they did it as a precaution because of your reaction the first time you woke up.” Jane scrambled to free Darcy, hoping it would calm her friend. “There, better?” She sat down in the chair again, taking hold of Darcy’s hand as she had done so earlier. 

“Y-yeah.” Her panic slowly turned to discomfort, as she slowly began to feel pain throughout her body. She looked down at herself, bruises littered her skin and a cast peeked out from the blankets. Her whole body ached, sharp pains seemed to come from all over her body. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the pain would be too much to bear. “Janie, I think I’m gonna need the good drugs soon...I’m not feeling too swell over here.” She attempted to smile, to pretend like she wasn’t thinking about the men who had done this to her. She was safe, but deep inside, the fear remained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Bucky in this chapter, sorry ;(  
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos and subscribed to this story. It makes me so happy (and relieved) to know that a lot of y'all are enjoying this story. 
> 
> Special thanks to Ianthes for introducing me to Grammarly!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy wants to go home, Bucky tries to introduce himself. Things just don’t go as planned like at all.

Darcy sighed as she flipped through the movie choices on the tv in front of her. While it was nice having unlimited access to any movie she wanted, she was eager to be discharged. She hated feeling trapped in the room. She knew it was for her own good, but the IV hooked up to her just added to the feeling. Worst of all, every time the nurse would come in to check on her, she would flinch. The pitying looks she would get in response made her feel awful. It upset her to think that everyone probably knew what had happened to her. She wanted nothing more than to forget, but it was hard to do that when she felt so uncomfortable. She needed time to process what had happened to her without people constantly checking on her. 

A knock on her door broke her thoughts. Curious, she set the remote down. “Come in.”

She expected Jane, maybe even Thor. Who she didn't expect was a man she had never seen before. He was gorgeous, but the scowl on his face was menacing. As he came closer, she caught a whiff of his cologne. Instantly, she drew a sharp breath as her heart began to beat faster and faster. Memories of the men that held her down came flooding in, drowning her in fear. She began to shut down, unable to focus on anything but the nauseating smell invading her senses. She was barely aware of the tears beginning to run down her face as he stopped abruptly.

Looking at her, his scowl slowly turned into a panicked expression. She looked visibly shaken by his presence and he was at a loss for what to do. Should he leave? Assure her he meant no harm? Before he could even speak, she began to shake and cry uncontrollably. As he made to step forward, she flinched away from him, hands up as if to stop him from getting any closer.

“P-please. Don't c-come any closer.” She spoke through painful sobs. “You s-smell. You smell like th-them.” 

Confused, it took a moment for what she was saying to register. Stunned, he stepped back slowly, arms up in a placating manner. “I'm not trying to hurt you doll. I'm just here to introduce myself.” 

As she continued to cry, he realized she wouldn't be able to calm down until he was completely out of the room. Sighing, he made his way out, slowly closing the door behind him. Standing outside her door, he listened until her sobs died down into silence. He had fucked up. He felt like an idiot for coming to see her alone. Once the others heard about what had happened here, he was definitely going to get shit. Natasha especially would make sure he paid for causing the girl discomfort. He was definitely not looking forward to that sparring session. 

=x=

“Fuck!” She cried as she attempted to still her shaking hands. As her breath began to slow, she steadied herself carefully as she climbed off the bed. Conscious of her left leg, she made to stand before remembering the IV attached to her arm. Slowly, she removed it, wincing at the pain. That was definitely going to bruise up on her later. Dabbing the blood on her arm, she looked around to see where Jane had left her crutches. She needed to get out of here. She knew the man probably meant no harm, but that was the last straw. She was uncomfortable and she needed to be alone. Preferably, in her own apartment where she could shut herself off from the world. 

Spotting the crutches in the corner by the door, she hobbled over to them, pain evident with each step she took. She sighed in relief as she placed the crutches under her arms, relieving some of the pressure causing her discomfort. She opened the door slowly, poking her head out to look around and see if the coast was clear. No one in sight, she made her way out as quickly as her injuries allowed her. Closing in on the elevator, she heard a gasp behind her. Looking back, she saw a nurse staring at her wide-eyed. Darcy pressed the call button several times, praying for it to come up quickly before the nurse snapped out of her shock and attempted to stop her. As the nurse began to take out her phone, the elevator opened, and Darcy made her way inside. 

“Shit. She's probably calling someone right now.” She bit her lip nervously, willing the elevator to go faster, to let her escape. 

“She is Miss Lewis, but I have also taken the liberty of alerting the residents of your intentions.” 

Startled, Darcy paled as she realized she forgot about the towers AI. Of course F.R.I.D.A.Y would pick up on her attempt to escape. 

“Soooo why are you letting me get this far then?” She was angry. They had no right to keep her trapped here. She had every right to go back to the comfort of her own home. 

“I assure you, Dr. Foster and Mr. Odinson are waiting for you on the first floor.” 

“Dammit! Please just let me go home.” She was desperate now. As the elevator came to a stop and the doors slowly opened, she could see a furious Jane waiting for her on the other side. 

Arms crossed, Jane barely contained her anger as she spoke. “And just where do you think you're going!?” 

Darcy’s eyes began to fill with tears again as she looked from her to a disapproving Thor. “I-I want to go home, Jane. I feel trapped here I don't like it. Everyone knows what happened to me. They all look at me with pity and it just makes me feel like shit. And then this guy comes in and-” 

“Wait, what guy?” Jane interrupted her. Her face softened, anger replaced with worry. “Darcy, did someone try to hurt you?” 

Thor growled at this, causing Darcy to shiver. “My dear sister, tell me who this man is. I will see to it myself that this man gets what he deserves. No one touches my sweet lightning sister and comes away unscathed!” His booming voice turned heads, causing Darcy even more discomfort at the attention they were garnering.

“I don't know who he was. He had a metal arm and he smelled like-” she couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. She just looked at them desperately, hoping they would understand her need to escape to the comfort of her apartment. 

“That's Bucky Barnes, Steve’s best friend.” Answered Jane. “You haven't seen him since you don't live here. He mostly stays in his rooms he shares with Steve, but he's not a bad guy. Why did he scare you? Wait, why did he visit you if you don't know him?” 

“I don't know,” she said in frustration. She was getting tired of standing here. “He just came in looking all scary and he smelled like them.”

Confused, Jane looked questioningly at Thor, hoping he would know what she was talking about. Thor looked back at her guiltily, clearing his throat before speaking. “My love, I believe this is something we should maybe talk about someplace else.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, aware that there was something he had been keeping from her. “Thor, what are you not telling me?” 

Darcy stared in disbelief. She didn't know. Jane, the one person she trusted most in this whole tower didn't know what had happened to her. She scoffed, bringing their attention back to her. “Wow. I really-” she sighed in frustration before continuing, “I really can't believe nobody has told you.” 

Jane looked at her, but before she could speak, Thor suddenly herded her into the elevator along with Darcy. “I believe this is a conversation better had away from prying ears.” 

“Darce, what's going on? What don't I know?” Jane was anxious now. “Who are you talking about when you say Bucky smelled like ‘them’?” 

Darcy stared up at the row of elevator numbers, watching as they lit up one by one. She tried to find the best way to tell her friend she had been raped but found herself unable to speak. She was flooded with shame, her cheeks slowly turning red. It wasn't until the elevator dinged and the doors slid open that she let out the breath she was holding. Stepping out, she found herself in the common area of the tower. Turning her back to the room, she looked at Jane straight in the eyes. It was now or never, she needed to just say it already. “I was raped, Jane.” She heard the woman gasp as she continued, “I was raped by some disgusting men because I wouldn't tell them anything about your research. The very smell of their cologne haunts me and I freaked out when some guy I've never met came in reeking of it ok? Are you happy now?” She was crying again. Just think about how many tears she had shed already made her cry even more. She didn't want to be like this. She wanted to be strong, to not let this get to her head. 

“Darce I-” Jane began to sob along with her, unable to respond to her friend's revelation. “This is all my fault! If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened to you. Jesus Darcy, I'm so sorry.” She stepped forward, arms open. 

Darcy obliged and allowed Jane to hug her. They cried together as Thor looked on, heart breaking for the woman he had adopted as his sister. After a few minutes, he tore his eyes away from them, aware of another presence in the room. There on the couch, watching them with wide eyes, were Clint and Bucky. Looking to his left, he spotted Natasha in the kitchen, a murderous look on her face. He brought a finger to his lips, letting them know not to make their presence known. 

Leading the two women back into the elevator, he finally spoke up. “Let's head down to our private quarters. There you can talk more privately while I go alert the healers that you are well.” 

=x=

Natasha placed her cup gently on the counter. Making her way to the two men on the couch, her calm demeanor was betrayed by the harshness in her voice as she spoke. “Barnes, is there anything you need to tell me?”

Bucky flinched, knowing well how pissed Natasha was. “Umm, I tried visiting her.” 

She shifted as if getting ready to attack. “By yourself?” 

“Yeah.” 

She reached for him then, anger evident in her eyes. Were it not for Clint, who quickly stood and held her back, Bucky would be on the floor begging for mercy. 

“Let me go Clint,” she warned. “He fucking triggered her.”

“Calm down Tasha,” grunted Clint. “I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. Right Barnes?” 

“No, I just wanted to meet her and tell her I was being assigned to watch over her.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he spoke. “When I realized something was wrong, I got out of there quick. If I had known I had the same cologne as the bastards who did that to her, I would have never gone in there.”

Natasha stilled in Clint’s arms as she listened to Bucky speak. “You can let go Clint, I won't hurt him. For now.” As soon as she was free, she took out her phone. Finding Pepper’s name, she pressed the call button and put it on speaker phone. 

“Pepper speaking, what can I do for you Natasha?” 

“Pepper, we have an emergency situation.” She paused before continuing, “regarding Darcy.”

Pepper was silent for a moment before questioning her. “What happened? Is she ok? She didn't hurt herself again did she?” 

“She tried to leave the tower without anyone knowing but she's fine now. But, I need a favor.”

“Of course, anything.” 

“Darcy was triggered by the cologne James was wearing. Is there any way you could send out a memo and ban it from the tower?” 

Pepper sighed as she answered, “Yes, I can definitely do that. What brand is it?”

“Hold on,” she said as she looked towards Bucky. “What cologne are you wearing?”

“It's that Axe stuff Steve bought for me.” He said guiltily. 

Pepper shuddered at the mention of the brand. She had made Tony stop wearing the crap after suffering through three months of him drowning himself in the stuff. “Ok yeah, I can definitely do something about that. James, I'll send over replacements. Something much better. Some actual cologne.”

“And tell Steve he needs to stop listening to Tony's suggestions,” added Natasha. “Even Clint knows better than to wear that shit.” 

Bucky rolled his eyes despite the guilt he still felt over triggering his new charge. “Yeah yeah ok whatever. I'm going back to my floor. I've been out enough for today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew ok, I've been battling some major writer's block and I've also had a lot of work to get done with the semester coming to an end. (It's my last semester yay! Going to law school yay!) I really hope y'all enjoy this! Please leave me a comment or send me a message on Tumblr (@barisitrash) and let me know what you think! I love to hear back from y'all and I could also use some friends on Tumblr!!
> 
> love y'all! 
> 
> P.S. @Liebekatze I told you you read my mind about the Axe thing!


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